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Referrals are everything
Kian Bonvan is the President of Cape & Islands Builders Group Inc., a Design/Build construction company based in Centerville, MA. The company specializes in residential construction and renovation projects throughout Cape Cod, including new construction custom home building, new construction custom Accessory Dwelling Units(aka A.D.U. a small back yard home), kitchen and bathroom renovations, and whole home renovations. “Currently, we are focusing on building ultra-energy efficient, quality custom homes, Accessory Dwelling Units (A.D.U.s), and large scale existing home renovations.” the contractor said.
Owning a business and working with his hands has appealed to Bonvan since he was young. “I always wanted to learn, work and earn money. I started a lawn mowing business when I was 12 with my buddy Sean and had some fun summers doing it, and I was always interested in working with my hands, building things, and starting a company.”
At 16, the now contractor met what would end up being his building and construction mentors—Mike and Dan. Two brothers and highly skilled tradespeople several decades older than him. “over time I became really good friends with them and learned so much, and eventually we decided to start a business together.” The team of three successfully operated and grew the business for several years, but unfortunately the brothers needed to relocate out of state for family reasons. “So, I bought their half of the business, and continued to proudly provide quality craftsmanship across Cape Cod and the Islands ever since.”
In the beginning, Bonvan was hands-on in all aspects of construction, spending countless hours, on a wide variety of construction projects, mastering his craft while simultaneously managing the business tasks. Through years of working in the industry, he formed relationships with other masters of their craft—freeing him up to implement more efficient business operations and more importantly to him, focusing on customer service. “As of late, having spent a lot of time in the trades, I’ve met and hired a lot of skilled people and built an invaluable network. So more recently, I’ve been able to step back a little bit and add even more value through ensuring a great experience for my clients.”
Bonvan described what customer satisfaction means to him. “When I meet with a potential client, I educate them on exactly how we operate and the benefits that come with our system, and if the potential client feels like we are a good fit for the project, and I feel like we are a good fit for them, I’m going to do everything I possibly can to just blow them away in all aspects of the job, and make sure that they tell everybody in the world about us!”
He added, “I manage these complicated projects. I do my best to make it a stress free experience. The client just has one phone call to make, and it’s to me. They share their visions, dreams and budget goals, and I ask them to describe what success for their project looks like to them. Then my mission is to nail it!”
Bonvan further explained the importance of customer referrals to his company. “That’s how we started this whole thing—it was all through referrals by working very hard to consistently meet or exceed customer expectations. Getting referrals has been my mission for every project, every time.”
When asked what his favorite type of project is, Bonvan replied that he likes a challenge. “When I have a customer who has great creativity and ideas, and they want a non-typical building or building feature—one that I have to put a lot of brain power into, a lot of research, a lot of effort in order to make it come to fruition--that’s probably some of my favorite stuff.”
In addition to partnering with skilled tradespeople on his projects, Bonvan said that his wife, Kristen Bonvan, works behind the scenes. “I’m thankful my incredible wife and I get to work together. She’s an integral part of our success.”
When asked what he likes about living and working on Cape Cod, Bonvan shared that he grew up there and loves it. “It’s such a beautiful place to live. We go down to Sandy Neck in the summer. I love the beaches and outdoor life. I had a great experience growing up here. Now I have two children, and I’m happy that they get to grow up here too.”
For more information about Cape & Islands Builders Group Inc., check out their BBB profile. To learn more about BBB and read more stories like this, visit Behind the Business Stories with BBB in Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT.
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